‘His time will come’: Ajinkya Rahane wants Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to wait for Sanju Samson to return

Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Image: NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Ajinkya Rahane believes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s time will come, but feels India should for now stick with the top three combination that brought home the T20 World Cup title in 2026 and back Sanja Samson to regain his place alongside Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan in the upcoming T20I vs Af20I series.Samson, who was named player of the tournament during India’s triumphant T20 World Cup campaign, was dropped after a run of low scores on the England tour. Sooryavanshi subsequently made his international debut in Manchester and also opened during the T20Is against Zimbabwe.With Samson now recalled for the three-match home series against Afghanistan starting on Sunday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Rahane believes the veteran batsman should return to the top order.“I feel the top three should be the same as it was in the World Cup. Samson did well but got out after two or three bad innings. I want him to get another chance. Abhishek and Ishan have also done well for us,” Rahane said in a video on his YouTube channel on Friday.“Vaibhav will get his opportunities and his time will come. But for now I feel the top three should be Samson, Abhishek and Ishan who were our contributors in the World Cup,” he added.

“He should play his game”

Rahane welcomed Samson’s return while pointing to the impact of the batter during India’s World Cup-winning campaign.“I am happy to see Sanju Samson back in the team. He was the ‘Man of the Series’ in the World Cup. It was up and down and things happened to him that were out of his control. But he is a match winner and his return strengthens the team,” Rahane said.For Sooryavanshi, Rahane’s message was one of patience and freedom. The 15-year-old has seen a rapid rise through domestic and franchise cricket, but the former India batsman believes the teenager should not overplay his early international career.“I think he should play his game now. He should support the game that led him to come to the Indian team. It’s a very early stage for him in his career and international cricket,” Rahane said.“There is no need for him to think too much from now on and he should be released. Eventually his game will change after two or three years as he continues to play. It will be important for him to maintain balance. Apart from his cricketing skills, it is important to remain balanced off the field. That will be a challenge for him.”

Sooryavanshi’s record rise

Sooryavanshi has already given plenty of proof of his abilities. During the Duleep Trophy, he became the youngest player to score a half-century in the competition, reaching the milestone at 15 years and 175 days.For the East Zone, he made 92 off 81 balls, reaching his fifty off just 42 deliveries, breaking the 57-year-old record previously held by Laxman Singh, who was 16 years and 23 days old when he scored his Duleep Trophy fifty in 1969.Rahane believes the next challenge for the teenager is not to prove his talent, but to maintain the mental stability needed to handle his rapid rise.“If we talk about cricket skills, we have seen how well he has batted in the IPL and has scored consistently. He has scored for India A and also ran for the East Zone in the Duleep Trophy,” Rahane said.“He has shown consistency. The only thing for him is to remain mentally balanced and stable to continue his activity. Yes, he will have to make some adjustments in his game, but there is time for that,” he concluded.